Report Claims Scientology Auditioned Women To Be Tom Cruise's Wife

Report Claims Scientology Auditioned Women To Be Tom Cruise's Wife

Was an exotic beauty hand-picked by the Church of Scientology to be Tom Cruise's wife, then brutally punished when they broke up?

That's the claim made by Vanity Fair magazine in a shocking cover story called "What Katie Didn't Know."

32-year-old Nazanin Boniadi is an Iranian-born actress who's had a recurring role in How I Met Your Mother. She's also appeared in Iron Man.

Vanity Fair reports that Nazanin was chosen to be the new Mrs. Tom Cruise after an "elaborate auditioning process," led by the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige. Former Scientologist Marc Headley says he watched videotapes of the auditions.

Headley replied, "I saw girls being interviewed and being asked, were they interested in Tom Cruise? What did they know about Tom Cruise? And basically, if they would like to be in a Tom Cruise project."

The Church of Scientology says he's a disgruntled former member and denies his claims.

According to Vanity Fair, Nazanin Boniadi, who was then a dedicated Scientologist, was given a makeover and ordered to break up with the young man she was seeing so that she could date Tom Cruise. Then, she moved into an apartment at the Trump Tower in Manhattan. Vanity Fair says she and Cruise shared a bed, and he told her; "I've never felt this way before."

But it was not meant to be. Two months later, they broke up, with Cruise complaining: "I get more love from an extra than you!" Three months later, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes.

Vanity Fair also says that Nazanin was punished by the church because she gossiped about her romance with Cruise. The article says she was forced to "clean toilets with a toothbrush" at a Scientology center and "dig ditches in the middle of the night."

A spokesman for Tom Cruise called the Vanity Fair story "lies designed to sell magazines." The Church of Scientology issued its own flat denial.

The Church of Scientology says, "The entire story is hogwash. There was no project secret or otherwise to find a bride for any member."

Barbara Walters came to Cruise's defense on The View Tuesday.

"I don't believe any of this stuff, ok? I think it's his religion, his faith, like Romney is Momon and another person is Christian. Tom Cruise is one of the nicest men, people I have ever known," said Walters.